Fifth donor reaches 100-gallon milestone for Meek Blood Center

One more member has been added to an elite group of blood donors at Meek Blood Center. Mike Stephens donated his 100th gallon of blood, July 25. A reception was recently held to celebrate Stephens' achievement.

“Platelet donation requires a higher level of commitment than whole blood donation,” said Frances Baker, donor recruiter for Meek Blood Center. “Mike not only works full-time, but he is active in his church as well as in the local theater community. I am so pleased to welcome him as the fifth member of the 100-Gallon Club at Meek Blood Center.”

Stephens first donated blood in 1982 while he was a senior in high school. He gave sporadically through the years until 2006, when he began regularly donating. In 2006, Stephens moved to Abilene and began donating at Meek Blood Center. It wasn’t long after his first donation at Meek that he saw firsthand how meaningful his gift truly is for families.

Not long after his first donation, a baby was born at Hendrick with a rare platelet condition. The best option for the baby was to receive platelets from her mother. Unfortunately, the mother was unable to donate and a platelet donor was needed. Stephens was a donor who was a close match for this sick infant. All he knew at the time was that a baby had received his platelets. That year during Meek Blood Center’s Donor Appreciation Dinner, Stephens was introduced to the baby he had helped and her family. That night changed his perspective on giving and has made donating personally more meaningful to him. Since 1982, Stephens has donated blood approximately 450 times.

“It is a privilege to know someone like Mike, who is willing to spend an hour and a half with us twice a month to give others the gift of life,” said Baker.